Weight loss plateaus and raw diet...

[pixiedust]

Hello! I'm new to the forum and hoping to get some encouragement and advice. I'm twenty years old and starting to go raw tomorrow (after I make a trip to the store for the food I'll need). The reason I am going on this diet is to lose about 5-10 pounds. I used to have an eating disorder (anorexia) but I am in recovery. However, last year I started binging and put on about 15-20 pounds. I have lost about 10 pounds from eating 1200 calories a day of high protein low carb meals and small snacks and moderate exercise. I'm at a plateau though. I don't want to eat less calories and don't have time to exercise more than I already do since I am going back to school in a couple of weeks. Based on your experiences, will switching to raw food help me overcome the plateau, even if I eat roughly the same amount of calories? I just don't want to go lower and screw up my metabolism or go back into an eating disorder just to lose a couple of pounds. Do raw foods speed up the metabolism?

[ChaiLife]

Welcome to the board and congratulations on your recovery. That's great!

Are you thinking about going on raw foods temporarily just to lose the weight? If so, it won't be a lifelong change. Raw foods will give you health and help you get at the right body weight for your body. You will get, as Alissa has said, your true body.

When you mentioned a high protein low carb diet, was that an animal based diet? Just wondering. To improve your overall health, raw will work! But it's not a temporary thing. You will go right back to the old issues as soon as you stop eating raw.

If you have been on a meat diet, can I suggest The China Study book to you? It is such an amazing book! I recommend it to everyone. :)

Yes, raw will help your metabolism. One thing that I experienced when going raw is I felt hot inside. Hard to explain really. But you will get what folks call a "raw high" where you will feel so good and can take on the world. It's an incredible feeling and your metabolism (and every other ism) is working like it should. Your body gets the nutrients it needs to be abl to function like it should!

This board is a great place to get help. There is an incredible amount of knowledge here.

Looking forward to reading about your progress.

[tanishamarshall]

I totally agree with Chailife. Raw should be a way of life and if you plan to go back to your old lifestyle you may encounter the same problems again.

If your looking for a quick fix Raw will probably help you but in the long run I think it's beneficial to stick with whatever you find that works for your body.